Away from mainstream Paris
I very often advice my guests to discover the cemetry of Père Lacahaise. Sounds odd but not only it is the largest in Paris but it is really worth taking one of the many tours offered to get a chance to see the graves of the many celebrities burried there: Edith Piaf, Chopin, Jim Morrisson, Oscar Wild, psychic Alan Kardec, Victor Noir and many more. The stone graves are amazing and illustrate this common fear most of us have of being forgoten after our death… Also, some masonic tours are available if you are interested in the symbolism of freemasonery.
Close to the graveyard, on the boulevard de Ménilmontant, is a restaurant that is also worth paying a visit, Les Quilles. From the outside it looks like a very casual bistro with vintage decoration made of bric à brac. But the place is nothing like another food place. A very limited number of super fresh dishes elaborated from the seasonal produces available at the wholesale food market of Paris they viist every other day, prepared in that very modern French cooking way: priority to falvors and freshness. Along with a fabulous selection of wines – the owners have a great knowledge when it gets to discover confidential wineries- and you will enjoy a very Parisian experience in a super casual ambiance. Don’t expect an obsequious service here, the mood is friendly and casual. A colorful crowd of hipsters, we call them Bobos (Bohemian Bourgeois) and artists slowly gentrifiy this former blue collar neighborhood. Another side of Paris far from the landmarks and the tourist traps!
Cimetière de Père Lachaise
Boulevard de Ménilmontant 75020 Paris
www.pere-lachaise.com
Price range: €€
Les Quilles
123 boulevard de Ménilmontant 75011 Paris
01 47 00 03 66
